Electronic device manufacturing tools conventionally employ process chambers or other suitable apparatus adapted to perform processes (e.g., chemical vapor deposition, epitaxial silicon growth, etch, etc.) for manufacturing electronic devices. Such processes may produce effluents having undesirable chemicals as by-products of the processes. Pumps (e.g., vacuum pumps) may be used to remove the effluents from process chambers and to provide a vacuum to the process chambers.
To regulate the pressure within a process chamber, one or more additional components may be coupled to the process chamber (e.g., throttle valves, gate valves, etc.). These components also regulate the flow of the effluent (e.g., fluid, gas, emulsions, etc.) exiting the processing chamber, and may undesirably affect the processes performed and/or the other components of a manufacturing system. Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and apparatus for pressure control in electronic device manufacturing systems.